The Most Glamorous Wedding Favour Boxes Ever

When I planned my wedding, I had a hard time figuring out how to package the custom chocolates I ordered. I ended up ordering some Chinese take-out boxes online and tried my best to dress them up with pink ribbons (not very well). If only I had something like the beautiful favour boxes by Tulle Box Designs.

Tulle Box Designs is created by my good friend Maxine, and she recently launched a new website. We had a chance to chat about her company and her thoughts on upcoming wedding trends. Her passion and knowledge for all things weddings really shines, and it shows in her unique and beautiful products.

1. Tell me about Tulle Box Designs. What do you do?

Tulle Box Designs makes handmade, lush, and beautiful wedding favour packaging. At weddings, favours are typically placed on the table, and I'm a huge believer that everything that sits on guest tables should be really really pretty--whether it's the flowers, the centerpieces, or the favours.


Above: Lucky Red Take-Out Box by Tulle Box Designs. That's what I needed for my wedding!

2. What is the inspiration behind Tulle Box Designs?

I have quite the collection of wedding magazines, and Tulle Box Designs is really inspired by all the beautifully-detailed weddings in those magazines. I am constantly inspired by these details, like a gorgeous monogram, beautiful baskets holding colourful pashminas, vintage birdcages, and antique brooches, to name a few.

3. For your own wedding, you had a gorgeous traditional church ceremony and then a grand reception dinner at the Westin. Tell me more about the decorations and themes you chose, and what were some of your favourite pieces.

For my own wedding, I wanted an old-world and elegant feel. The guest tables were dressed in antique gold silk table linens, tall candelabras, and antique-looking frames for table numbers. One of my favourite pieces were my favours. They were boxes of tea which were dressed with a handmade green-tea coloured peony and tied with chocolate ribbon.

Above: Gorgeous table setting at Maxine's wedding.

4. Of the designs you offer, which is your favourite?

My favourite one is the mille-feuille garden rose--they remind me of petit-fours and that makes me happy. =)


Above: Mille-feuille garden rose favour boxes in green tea.

5. What are the top wedding trends upcoming for 2010 in terms of style and decor? Are we seeing anything new or drastically different?

We are seeing many brides adorn feathered and/or jeweled hairpieces. I think they look so beautiful and I would LOVE to see bridesmaids adorn hairpieces too. Even a string of pearls weaved through a chignon is so elegant. The 2010 bridal season is one of my favourites. The wedding gowns are so ethereal and airy. They really make brides look like they're walking on clouds. Colour-wise, I think we'll see more soft, muted colour palettes like grays and really soft yellows. For decor, i can see lots of one-of-a-kind decor pieces from antique stores and flea markets.

6. Who are your favourite wedding gown designers?

This is hard! There are SOOO many wedding gown designers that I LOVE. Okay, but if I had to narrow it down, it'd be Vera Wang, Judd Waddell, Amsale, Monique L'huillier, Reem Acra, and Melissa Sweet.


Above: Maxine and her hubby take a walk amongst leaves on their wedding day (with her Manolos of course).

7. Who did you wear at your own wedding?

An antique ivory silk Judd Waddell ballgown. The skirt was huge, and underneath the silk were layers and layers of tulle that made me want to twirl all night. Dress was paired with silver d'orsay Manolo Blahniks with rhinestone buckles.

Images for Maxine's wedding are by Jonetsu Photography, who also happened to photography my wedding.

What's in a Paint Name

I have a strange fixation with the names of paint.  We've been thinking about painting our place, and there's something about the way a paint is named that just fires up my imagination.  The right name sets the tone for the vision, and in my mind, I can conjure up an entire scene and lifestyle based on a name.  

I particularly love the names from Farrow & Ball.  Their brand is all about being fine purveyors of wallpapers and paint in the traditional style, and this shows in the way the colours are named and how their historic origins are explained.  I love "Mouse's Back", described in the catelogue as "a quiet, neutral dark stone.  Not recommended for use with white but very useful as an early 18th century colour"  Or "Elephant's Breath", a light greyish hue with a hint of pink.  And lastly,

"Chinese Blue", a personal fave which makes me think of a Victorian sitting room filled with Ming dynasty china on display and pretty ladies sitting around sipping Ceylon tea (perhaps with these pretty cups).  There is something very regal, formal and almost gritty about these names.

above: London Clay of Farrow & Ball

Contrast Farrow & Ball's approach with Ralph Lauren's collection of paints, thanks to a tip from my friend at The Anthology.  Lauren's paint lines are categorized as various "Lifestyle Colours", and each collection reflects a different lifestyle theme.  The Modern Light line is modern and serene, with names such as Indian Sky (a light grey purple), Lemongrass (yellow tinged beige) and Sanctuary (a cool blue-green).  The Urban Loft collection is obviously inspired by the industrial lofts of NYC with names like Greenwich and Galvanized. And as an equestrian, I love the concept of their Thoroughbred line, which represents the classic, clean, All-American lifestyle with names like Adirondack Blue, Rufford Hall and Polo Green (insert image of American blue-blood, Ivy league types, playing croquette or something in their backyards).

I could pore over these catelogues for hours, just fantasizing how my home and lifestyle would differ with each line of these paints.  Question is, which one is me?